Total Bonsai Noob!

[Trouble In The Forest]

I have some gardening/plant experience. I must say that I have healthy houseplants. Every summer, I have an outdoor patio garden which I take very good care of (I'm very meticulous). Anyway, my Dad bought me two different bonsai plants for Christmas this year. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO TAKE CARE OF THEM!!!!! So I need lots of advice so I don't hurt them.

Bonsai #1
This was bought online from CZ Grain. The invoice says that it is a Green Weeping Willow Tree Cutting - Thick Trunk Start. It came in the mail today. There is a thick cutting and an extra thin cutting. I have placed them both in two separate glasses with 2-3 inches of water. I am waiting for them to sprout roots, so I have a little time before I plant them. Need advice on getting started.

Bonsai #2 (below)
This was bought on Amazon (don't know the seller off-hand). I need some help identifying it. I think it's a Japanese Needle Juniper (???). It's not a fun plant to handle. I have no idea what I'm doing with this. It came a couple days ago. Today, I noticed a tiny bit of the needles turning reddish. You can't see in this pictture. Help!!!!!!

Here is my plant today. It's really tiny:



I should add that I am placing both of these plants on the carpeted floor in front of my sliding glass doors. They face south and get sun all day. It is cold outside right now though and it's not exactly cozy warm near those doors, but I want the plants to get light, and I have some other house plants there that are doing great. This little plant above - the soil seams tightly packed. It's very difficult to tell how moist it is. The planter is heavy, so it's hard to tell. I feel I shouldn't trim anything on this as it's so small. Advice?

 

[A. Gorilla]

Its not an ideal start. Limp it along til spring. If it is still alive put it outside. There it shall stay for the rest of its life.

If it lives and grows, let it just get bushy and overgrown.

In the mean time read about wiring, repotting, and bonsai soils (relatively coarse and free draining like pumice or sifted perlite).

Odds are good, you will kill it. That is just a thing which happens in this hobby.

Knowledge accumulation is key now.

 

[BiscoDrew]

Its not an ideal start. Limp it along til spring. If it is still alive put it outside. There it shall stay for the rest of its life.

If it lives and grows, let it just get bushy and overgrown.

In the mean time read about wiring, repotting, and bonsai soils (relatively coarse and free draining like pumice or sifted perlite).

Odds are good, you will kill it. That is just a thing which happens in this hobby.

Knowledge accumulation is key now.

What is an ideal start? I'm trying to root this juniper cutting and it looks kind of similar.

 

[BiscoDrew]

Are evergreens dormant during winter? Couldn't controlled temp cause better growth?

 

[A. Gorilla]

Junipers need blazing sun and a distinct dormancy.

 

[Trouble In The Forest]

Junipers need blazing sun and a distinct dormancy.

Well, if that's the case, if it makes it too spring it's gonna love my patio because it's uncovered and scorching out there in the summer. Full sun all day long.

 

[Trouble In The Forest]

Hey, if it's only been in my house a couple days, is it still too late to move it outside?
I've had it since Saturday. Won't this little pot of dirt turn into a chunk of ice outside?

 

[A. Gorilla]

Dormancy is something trees ease into with waning light.

This could have come from a greenhouse in Mississippi.

Freezing it immediately will probably kill it.

 

[BiscoDrew]

Room temp with as much direct light as possible. Fingers crossed that, as Jeff Goldblum aptly said, life will find a way...

 

[Njyamadori]

I have some gardening/plant experience. I must say that I have healthy houseplants. Every summer, I have an outdoor patio garden which I take very good care of (I'm very meticulous). Anyway, my Dad bought me two different bonsai plants for Christmas this year. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO TAKE CARE OF THEM!!!!! So I need lots of advice so I don't hurt them.

Bonsai #1
This was bought online from CZ Grain. The invoice says that it is a Green Weeping Willow Tree Cutting - Thick Trunk Start. It came in the mail today. There is a thick cutting and an extra thin cutting. I have placed them both in two separate glasses with 2-3 inches of water. I am waiting for them to sprout roots, so I have a little time before I plant them. Need advice on getting started.

Bonsai #2 (below)
This was bought on Amazon (don't know the seller off-hand). I need some help identifying it. I think it's a Japanese Needle Juniper (???). It's not a fun plant to handle. I have no idea what I'm doing with this. It came a couple days ago. Today, I noticed a tiny bit of the needles turning reddish. You can't see in this pictture. Help!!!!!!

Here is my plant today. It's really tiny:

View attachment 347138

I should add that I am placing both of these plants on the carpeted floor in front of my sliding glass doors. They face south and get sun all day. It is cold outside right now though and it's not exactly cozy warm near those doors, but I want the plants to get light, and I have some other house plants there that are doing great. This little plant above - the soil seams tightly packed. It's very difficult to tell how moist it is. The planter is heavy, so it's hard to tell. I feel I shouldn't trim anything on this as it's so small. Advice?

I am a beginner too but I have one piece of advice
Do not by those “bonsai”
They aren’t actually bonsai and just basically scams. Go on 99 cent bonsai club oh Facebook and on Sunday then auctions will start to buy some trees !

 

[Potawatomi13]

Willow cutting best off planting in soil now. Reason why being roots grown in H2O very tender and likely break if put in soil after sprouting.

 

[Trouble In The Forest]

Willow cutting best off planting in soil now. Reason why being roots grown in H2O very tender and likely break if put in soil after sprouting.

I'm going to wait just a bit to see a tiny bit of root...

 

[sorce]

Welcome to Crazy, Crazy Late!

Sorce

 

[papkey5]

I have some gardening/plant experience. I must say that I have healthy houseplants. Every summer, I have an outdoor patio garden which I take very good care of (I'm very meticulous). Anyway, my Dad bought me two different bonsai plants for Christmas this year. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO TAKE CARE OF THEM!!!!! So I need lots of advice so I don't hurt them.

Bonsai #1
This was bought online from CZ Grain. The invoice says that it is a Green Weeping Willow Tree Cutting - Thick Trunk Start. It came in the mail today. There is a thick cutting and an extra thin cutting. I have placed them both in two separate glasses with 2-3 inches of water. I am waiting for them to sprout roots, so I have a little time before I plant them. Need advice on getting started.

Bonsai #2 (below)
This was bought on Amazon (don't know the seller off-hand). I need some help identifying it. I think it's a Japanese Needle Juniper (???). It's not a fun plant to handle. I have no idea what I'm doing with this. It came a couple days ago. Today, I noticed a tiny bit of the needles turning reddish. You can't see in this pictture. Help!!!!!!

Here is my plant today. It's really tiny:

View attachment 347138

I should add that I am placing both of these plants on the carpeted floor in front of my sliding glass doors. They face south and get sun all day. It is cold outside right now though and it's not exactly cozy warm near those doors, but I want the plants to get light, and I have some other house plants there that are doing great. This little plant above - the soil seams tightly packed. It's very difficult to tell how moist it is. The planter is heavy, so it's hard to tell. I feel I shouldn't trim anything on this as it's so small. Advice?

With bonsai #2 of it is heavy now, it can be because it has enough water. If a day goes by and the pot is lighter than the soil is dying out.

“Watering. Evergreen junipers are extremely drought tolerant and prefer their soil on the dry side. ... Water newly planted juniperstwice a week when there is no rainfall for the first two months. Junipers need weekly watering for the first summer to develop an extensive root system.”

How to Grow an Evergreen Juniper

Junipers (Juniperus spp.) grow in every U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness...

homeguides.sfgate.com

get them away from the sliding glass door and put them under grow lights. They don’t need to be the most expensive lights to keep it alive. What you want to do is simulate the growing season, while indoors. When spring comes find the greatest spot for it you can. (shade/light requirements) and spend some time researching and setting up an area to overwinter it next winter.

for your first bonsai book I would recommend this one.

Bonsai: DK: 9781465419583: Amazon.com: Books

Bonsai [DK] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Bonsai

www.amazon.com